LIVING ON THE EDGE

A Unique Texas Stadium Memory

As the former home of the Dallas Cowboys comes crashing down tomorrow, a much more important memory will combine with the flattening of the walls to signify life victories in the lives of thousands of men.

Years ago, I was part of a team who prayed for those walls to come down. Not the walls we see, but the spiritual walls we can’t see with our physical eyes. As we counted down the days approaching the Promise Keepers Conference titled Break Down The Walls, we followed Joshua’s example set forth by God in the Bible book of Joshua 6, to march around the fortified city 7 times, not making a sound, but claiming the destruction of walls existing between men… walls of pride, walls of prejudice, walls of hate, walls of indifference, walls of spiritual destruction.

In the days leading up to the PK Conference weekend ‘Game Day’, we marched around Texas Stadium a total of 6 times, saying nothing aloud, obediently making no sound (Joshua 6:10), just praying that God would break down the walls that separated us, and bring a spirit of godly unity, mutual love, commitment, and healing brotherhood in Christ.

Early on Friday morning, Oct 25, 1996, at 6:00am, we gathered in the cool autumn mist for the final victory lap around the stadium. A single trumpet player preceded us (Joshua 6:8,16). A handful of prayer warriors silently made the 8 minute circle around the stadium, accompanied only by the playing of God-honoring songs on the trumpet.

As we completed the lap, the trumpet player took his cue with a loud victorious blast, and our small faithful group shouted at the top of our voices, “God is the Victor,” “He is Lord,” “Praise God”!

Although the visible stadium walls did not budge, we know because of God’s faithfulness and love for His people, and because of our obedience to His commands, those unseen walls came crashing down in the spiritual realm. Hundreds of men humbly gave their lives to Christ. Tens of thousands recommitted to follow God wholeheartedly. Untold thousands of families were healed because of those walls coming down. And the ripple effect is still impacting lives 14 years later.

Tomorrow God will give us a piercing visual reminder of what took place in our hearts that October weekend. If you were part of God’s move of might in those days, or even if you weren’t, let this picture stir you to a renewed abandon to God. Let these collapsing walls encourage you to seek God with your whole heart, and serve Him with your whole life.

Carolyn Webb, Guest Blogger

After watching the events of this truly historic day in the life of America, I could not help but be drawn to the prayer offered by Pastor Rick Warren. Of all the prayers that have been or could have been offered this day, God knew whom He wanted to pray on this day for our new president.

I, for one, was moved to tears and have a greater since of hope for this new administration because of Pastor Rick’s GOD focused and Christ honoring prayer. As you read his prayer, let the spirit of God speak to you and make it your prayer as well.

Rick Warren’s Prayer.

“Almighty God, our Father:

Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone.
It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory.
History is your story.

The Scripture tells us, “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity.

Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans—united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you—forgive us.

When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone—forgive us.

When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve—forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet.

And may we never forget that one day, all nations–and all people–will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, ‘Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus—who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.”

This morning while getting out of bed, I looked outside and sure enough the sun did come up. I was not so sure last night because I had my eyes focused on the wrong ONE. Admittedly I felt a little like Peter in the New Testament when Jesus asked him to get out of the boat and walk on the water to the shore to meet with Jesus. There was a storm brewing and the waves began to crash in on Pete so he took his eyes off of Jesus and put them on the waves and he sank. Jesus being the merciful God that he is, reached in and pulled Pete out just in time. I saw a storm brewing and I took my eyes off THE ONE. After the election last night, I went to bed hoping to wake up and realize it was all a bad dream. That didn’t happen-I wake up to reality.  The reality that GOD IS GOD AND I’M NOT. DUH!

Over the past few days I have been camping out in Numbers in the O.T. and finding some really cool stuff.

In chapter 11, Moses was leading the kids around in the dessert and they are whining and complaining big time about not having meat to eat. (Read the story-it’s funny and sad) They have had plenty to eat and God had supplied all their needs without interruption but it wasn’t enough. They were not satisfied. They wanted more. They wanted meat. Give me meat. More meat. I’m selfish and I want MY meat. “Me me me me me…” (Sounds like they were warming up to sing).

So Moses was telling God about this and asked Him to handle it. “After all God, you made these people not me so you take care of them”.  So God did. He gave them enough meat to last them for months, so much meat that each person had 60 bushels full. God gave them what they asked for, knowing it was not the best thing for them.

The bible says in Numbers 11 that “the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had CRAVED OTHER FOOD”.

What God has been dealing with me about over the past several months is a simple question that He has asked me several times now- “Am I Not enough for you?” My answer is always been-yes Lord, you are. But what I have realized recently is my life must match my words. I no longer can just say God is enough. I must live my life in a way that shouts He is enough.

In my humble opinion, I believe God has given America what we have been craving for a long time-OTHER FOOD.  We have become a people of whiners and complainers who care only about our own selfish desires and who take no responsibility for our actions. We blame everybody else for the mess we have made and look for THE ONE who says he can get us out of the mess if just put our trust in him.

People. There is only one person I know who can get us out of this mess and heal the hurts of this great nation. He is not a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent. He is GOD ALMIGHTY, the one true God who we have turned our backs on and have been systematically eliminating from our culture.  He is THE ONE who stands ready to hear our prayer and heal our land if we as a nation will humble ourselves and turn back to God and put our faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ.

God gave the Kids of Israel what they wanted and they ultimately repented. We now have what we have wanted. I hope we, as a nation will do what they did-repent and turn to God.